biteho.com

Space Force is the name of both the latest addition to the United States Armed Forces as well as Netflix’s new workplace comedy starring Steve Carell, which lampoons it. But in the end only one will have the ability to globally trademark “Space Force” for the purposes of merchandising, a potential legal showdown that could see the streaming titan face the U.S. government in court.

Netflix’s ability to make a show about Space Force is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution guaranteeing the right to free speech. And it appears Netflix has been far more proactive about securing trademark rights to “Space Force” across international territories, including Europe and Mexico, than Uncle Sam has been.

“Meanwhile, the Air Force merely owns a pending application for registration inside the United States based on an intent to use,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Meaning that the feds have gotten a place in line but no confirmed trademark rights thus far.” (The Department of Defense established a trademark and branding office back in 2007, while the U.S. Air Force has a site dedicated to the licensing of intellectual property for “entertainment uses.”)

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/netflixs-space-force-exclusive-season-1-sneak-peek-featuring-steve-carell”]

Trademark clarifies who is selling what product, in this case any Space Force-branded merchandise that might conceivably confuse consumers as to whether they’re buying merch related to the U.S. military or to a TV show.

Overseas, this Space race comes down to whoever filed the intent to trademark “Space Force” first, the streaming service or the U.S. government. As THR explains:

“Although the United States operates on what’s called a ‘first-to-use’ trademark registration system, where priority is based on actual use in commerce rather than who gets to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office first, many other countries operate on a ‘first-to-file’ basis. Records show that Netflix was submitting applications for ‘Space Force’ around the world as early as January 2019. In other words, the Department of Defense was caught sleeping.”

But would the U.S. government actually go to court over the trademark to Space Force? The feds would face a huge hurdle in U.S. courts given the free speech protections granted to satires, which Netflix’s Space Force most certainly qualifies as.

But overseas? That’s a different story. As THR notes, many countries beyond the U.S. don’t offer the sort of protections and “fair use” standards America enjoys.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=space-force-season-1-gallery&captions=true”]

For its part, though, the U.S. Air Force — whose department Space Force lies within — seems to harbor no current litigious intent toward Netflix. An Air Force rep informed THR they are unaware of any trademark conflicts between the federal government and Netflix over Space Force:

“We wish Netflix and the show’s producers the best in their creative depiction of our nation’s newest branch of the military.”

For more legal drama, read about Activision’s recent legal victory to depict Humvees in their Call of Duty games. And for more on Steve Carrell’s new show, check out our Space Force review and why John Malkovich cried over a fart joke.

CrossCode is finally coming to consoles, and Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One owners will be able to check it out soon. The retro-styled action RPG will release for consoles on July 8. The game will cost $20.

The game casts players as Lea, a mute MMO player in the future. The game is reminiscent of classics like Chrono Trigger, but with a more action-orientated battle system.

The game, which was first announced for Switch in January 2019, released for PC in September 2018 after a lengthy Early Access period. The trailer below is in Japanese, but the game has already been fully translated into English.

Crosscode is the debut title from Radical Fish Games, The PC version has an average rating of 86 on Metacritic, and sports “Very Positive” user reviews on Steam.

If you want to test out the game ahead of its console release, you can check out the demo on Steam.

Today you can score an Alienware RTX 2070 gaming laptop for only $1399.99.  If you already have a great gaming rig and are looking for must-have peripherals, the Oculus Quest and the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro are both back in stock today. There are also a number of great PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch video game deals today, and the Sony Days of Play Sale is still running. For those of you with deep pockets, there’s a solid deal on a new 2020 77″ LG 4K OLED TV that’s even G-SYNC and FreeSync compatible.

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=daily-deals-june-8-2020″]

Sony PS4 Days of Play Game Deals

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=sony-playstation-days-of-play-2020-playstation-hits-deals-at-amazon”]

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=sony-playstation-days-of-play-2020-playstation-hits-deals-at-best-buy”]

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=ps4-days-of-play-2020-deals-at-amazon”]

______________________________

Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.

EA and Criterion Games have announced that Need for Speed Heat will become the first EA game to feature cross-play.

Criterion Games General Manager Matt Webster posted a letter on EA’s official site explaining that, after an update coming to the game on June 9, Need for Speed Heat will be the first EA title ever to feature cross-play across PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Webster said this update will also be the game’s last as the team is working on the next title in franchise.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/15/need-for-speed-heat-13-minutes-of-4k-gameplay”]

“So we’re thrilled to let you all know that on June 9, Need for Speed Heat will be the first EA title to offer cross-play, meaning that players — regardless of their platform — can jump into Palm City together as one, united community,” Webster said. “As we at Criterion shift gears into the future with full focus on developing the next Need for Speed game, this will be the final update for Need for Speed Heat.”

Webster said that since the launch of the game last year, the team has been listening to what players love about the game and what they believe could make it better, all in an effort to create “the most expressive, most socially connected, action-packed game yet for Need for Speed fans and beyond.” He said to keep an eye out at EA Play Live on June 18 for additional Need for Speed announcements.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/17/need-for-speed-heat-accolades-trailer”]

After installing the update, players will need to opt-in to cross-play. After doing that, players can search for friends that have also opted-in to cross-play on any system inside the Find Players menu. After becoming friends, players can use the new EA Friends tab in the Party menu to see who is online and ready to play.

Need for Speed Heat was recently added to Steam with other EA titles and the game will be added to EA Access and Origin Access Basic Vault on June 16. We thought Criterion’s latest crack at the series was great and you can read about why in our Need for Speed Heat review.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Update: Sony has officially confirmed the new date and time of its PS5 game reveal event following the early publication of an advertisement on Twitch.

“Hi all – thanks for being patient and understanding while we rescheduled this PS5 event for Thursday, June 11 at 1pm Pacific Time / 9pm BST. We needed to step aside so key voices could be heard during this historic and important time,” Sony’s official announcement reads, while offering additional details on the pre-taped stream’s quality.

“Now that the event is confirmed for June 11, I wanted to add that this pre-taped program will be broadcast at 1080p and 30 frames per second. This eased the show’s production process during a time when many of our team and developers are working from home. The games you’ll see on Thursday will look even better when you play them on PS5 with a 4K TV, as you’d expect.

It’s also best if you watch while wearing headphones, if you can — there’s some cool audio work in the show, and it might be harder to appreciate if it’s pumped through your phone or laptop speakers.”

Original story follows:

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

A Sony advert on Twitch has revealed that its PlayStation 5 event will now take place on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 1pm PT/4pmET/9pm BST.

The date was revealed via a Twitch ad, and we’re expecting an official announcement to come in the near future from PlayStation’s official channels. IGN has captured the below screenshot, confirming the new date.

Sony was originally set to reveal the PS5 on June 4, 2020, but it decided to delay it in response to the global protests that followed the death of George Floyd.

The PlayStation 5, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, is still scheduled to be released during Holiday 2020. Sony also stated that the yet unknown price of the next-gen console has not been affected by the pandemic either.

While we still have yet to see the actual PS5 box, Sony did reveal its controller, the DualSense, earlier this year.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/01/sony-delays-ps5-june-reveal-event”]

We also recently saw an Unreal Engine 5 demo running on a PlayStation 5, even though Epic confirmed it was not set to be a full-fledged game, yet it is playable.

Sony still hasn’t exactly made clear what games new PlayStation 5 owners can hope to play when it launches next year, but we do have some confirmed third-party games, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Madden NFL 21, Destiny 2, and more.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true”]

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who can’t wait and is so excited he just can’t hide it. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The King of Staten Island debuts exclusively on VOD on June 12.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

It’s time for the world to get to know Pete Davidson. For years on Saturday Night Live, he’s been the goofball stoner. Across tabloids, he’s been a playboy, romancing numerous starlets. In interviews and his stand-up, he’s been frank about his personal life, talking about sex, drug use, and his struggles with mental health. Now, he’s channeled all of the above into the lumbering and occasionally uncertain The King of Staten Island. Written by Davidson, Dave Sirus, and Judd Apatow, The King of Staten Island imagines how the twenty-six-year-old’s life might have been different if he hadn’t discovered stand-up comedy.

Davidson stars as Scott, a 24-year-old Staten Islander who still lives at home with his mom Margie (Marisa Tomei). He has no job, no high school diploma, and no real prospects. Sure, Scott talks about opening a tattoo shop/restaurant called Ruby Tattoos-days. But his efforts toward realizing this dream are half-assed at best, leaving his stoner friends littered with horrid practice tattoos. Still, Margie is endlessly patient with her son, in part because they’re both grieving his firefighter father who died in the line of duty 17 years before. However, when a new man (Bill Burr) enters her life, Scott’s slacker lifestyle is challenged, forcing this late-bloomer to grow up fast.

The King of Staten Island plucks bits of Davidson’s real-life to create an engaging blend of comedy and drama that will invite audiences to re-evaluate their perception of its star. Apatow, who also directed the film, has done this twice before, helming Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck and producing Kumail Nanjiani’s The Big Sick. In the former, Schumer’s shtick of joking about her promiscuity and immaturity was explored through the lens of rom-com tropes, thereby challenging the double standard applied to sexually active single women. In the latter, Nanjiani challenged the racist stereotypes against Pakistani-Americans while rebranding himself from snarky sidekick to charming leading man, inspired by his real-life romance. Each film launched its leads by humanizing them beyond their typecasting. With The King of Staten Island, Davidson sheds his goofy grin to show his wounded side. While daring, the film’s execution doesn’t make room for much fun.

[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/08/the-king-of-staten-island-red-band-trailer]

There are jokes, some sophomoric humor from his fried friends, some snarky quips from a defensive Scott, and a sloppy shoot-out that’s played bizarrely for laughs. However, Apatow flubs the balance between the story’s pathos and comedy. It’s hard to laugh at or with Scott when we as an audience are furrow-browed in concern, and not just for him but also for those around him. Apatow and Davidson challenge the audience’s empathy by beginning The King of Staten Island with a disturbing scene of a reckless suicide attempt.

Driving along a highway, Scott solemnly closes his eyes with the clear intention of crashing. This seems to be the screenwriter device called “kill the cat,” in which a script introduces the hero through a tragic moment to inspire concern in the audience. However, this “kill the cat” moment not only threatens our hero but also anyone else on that road. Thankfully, Scott changes his mind in the nick of time, and though some cars collide, it doesn’t seem too serious. But we don’t know for sure, because he keeps driving, muttering an apology that those impacted won’t hear. There’s no callback to this opening scene and no consequences for Scott. So, we as an audience are left with this unsetting tension as we witness him careen from one mistake to another, cringing in anticipation of disaster. This hangs like a cloud over the rest of the movie, which makes even scenes of levity feel slightly sullen.

Perhaps to offset this darkness, Scott is surrounded by colorful characters, who are brought to life by a stellar ensemble. Apatow has always had a gift for casting. Tomei is expectedly charming and poignant as Scott’s beleaguered mom. As Scott’s more ambitious kid sister Claire, Maude Apatow, who has grown up onscreen through her father’s films, is fantastically focused and fiery, challenging Davidson to rise to her level with every shared scene. Bel Powley offers spunk and sharp comedic timing as Scott’s love interest Kelsey, while Moises Arias brings a breathtaking sweetness as the runt of his stoner crew. Stand-up Bill Burr proves a solid scene partner for his real-life protégé, delivering tough love and irate outbursts with an authentic intensity. Plus, acclaimed character actor Steve Buscemi pops in to play a firehouse chief, reflecting a portion of his actual life as a New York firefighter. With a weary eye and a warm smile, Buscemi deftly displays a radiant brand of fatherly love that is non-toxic and healing. But for all of this incredible support, the film’s success or failure hinges on Davidson’s performance. With that, your mileage may vary, depending on how compelling you find this comic when he’s not yukking it up.

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=snl-stars-best-comedies&captions=true”]

Summer has arrived in Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Northern Hemisphere players. Not only does that mean there are new bugs and fish to catch in the game, but some new seasonal items are also now available to collect.

Nook Inc. has stocked its seasonal catalog with a handful of new, limited-time items. In addition to the Father’s Day mug, you can pick up a Handmade cape and Handmade crown in honor of International Children’s Day. A Summer-solstice crown and Winter-solstice sweater have also been added.

The Handmade crown, cape, and Father’s Day mug will all be available to purchase until June 30, while the Summer-solstice crown and Winter-solstice sweater will be available until July 6. To get the items, access the Nook Shopping menu from the Nook Stop terminal in your Resident Services building and flip to the seasonal tab.

That’s not all that’s new in Animal Crossing this month. June is wedding season, and you can earn some special furniture as part of a limited-time event. All month long, you can travel to Harv’s Island and help the llama couple Reese and Cyrus celebrate their anniversary by taking wedding photos of them. Do a good enough job and you’ll earn a new type of currency called heart crystals, which you can exchange for wedding furniture and other items.

If your game is set to the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll also find a new material called summer shells. These can be used in crafting some new seasonal DIY recipes that you’ll find in balloons and message bottles. However, as with the cherry blossom petals that appeared in spring, these shells and recipes will only be available for a limited time, from June to August (or December to February in the Southern Hemisphere).

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.